Pattern recognition board game structure

ABSTRACT

A structure for playing a pattern recognition game. The structure includes a playing board with apertures that are symmetrically distributed in a grid and are interconnected by guide marks. The overall outline of the grid is a six-sided geometric figure with its corners eliminated. Playing pieces such as marbles are placed in selected apertures of the board to form equilateral triangles that are outlined by the guide marks and capture opposing playing pieces that are included in and within triangles thus formed. The elimination of the corner apertures of the six-sided grid prevents any player from easily establishing a dominant position on the board.

United States Patent 11 1 Knowiton 1 Aug. 21, 1973 PATTERN RECOGNITIONBOARD GAME [21] Appl. No.: 172,469

[52] US. Cl. 273/130 F, 273/131 B, 273/136 E,

273/136 K [51] Int. Cl. A63f 3/00 [58] Field of Search 273/130, 131,132,

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 929,814 7/1947 France 273/!30 R PrimaryExaminer-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-George E. Kersey [57] ABSTRACT Astructure for playing a pattern recognition game. The structure includesa playing board with apertures that are symmetrically distributed in agrid and are interconnected by guide marks. The overall outline of thegrid is a six-sided geometric figure with its corners eliminated.Playing pieces such as marbles are placed in selected apertures of theboard to form equilateral trian- [56] References Cited gles that areoutlined by the guide marks and capture UNITED STATES PATENTS opposingplaying pieces that are included in and within 2,273,009 2/1942 Fisher273 134 B "males thus The the 942,984 2/1909 Underhm 273/130 R erturesof the s1x-s1ded g r1d prevents any player from 947,603 1/1910 Stcacy273/136 0 estabhshmg a dmmam 3,462,150 8/1969 Eriksson 273/13l B3,356,369 12/1967 Stubbmann 273/136 E x 3 Drawing Figure 262,066 8/1882Linton 273/135 R A 3A 7 ,1 R4 tag/M) Q A Q Q (-13 Patented Aug. 21, 19732 Sheets-Sheet I FIG. IA

FIG. /8

lNl/E/VTOR By KENNETH C. KNOWLTON [M a K y A T TORNE V Patented Aug. 21,1973 3353562 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 F IG. 2

\ Q Q Q Q Q Q QQMQYQW! 2 2 i PATTERN RECOGNITION BOARD GAME STRUCTUREBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a patternrecognition game structure and more particularly to a game structure fortriangular pattern recognition.

A game structure typically includes a game board and playing pieceswhich are manipulated in accordance with a specified set of rules. Wherethe board and playing pieces are complex, the game can be too difficultfor ordinary players. On the other hand, if the board and playing piecesare simple, the game may be too easily mastered.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a gamestructure in which the concepts are easily mastered and yet there ischallenge to players with wide varieties of skills. A related object isto realize a game in which the strategies can have an unlimited degreeof complexity, using basic rules which are straightforward and simple.Another related object is to realize a challenging game that is playablewith a simply configured game board using a relatively small number ofstandard playing pieces.

In addition to being a source of amusement it is advantageous for a gameto have teaching value as well. Games have been devised to illustratevarious mathematical concepts, and it is desirable to demonstratepattern recognition relationships and concepts as well.

Another object of the invention therefore is to provide a teaching gamewhich is concerned with pattern recognition. A related object is toprovide for pattern recognition by a game structure in which thepatterns may be of varying sizes and relationships.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accomplishing the foregoing and relatedobjects, the invention provides a game board with uniformly distributedapertures that form a grid which is optimally rounded in the sense thatthe overall outline of the grid apertures is a symmetric geometricfigure with its corners eliminated. One consequence of such a grid isthat the largest triangular pattern formed on the board by playingpieces such as marbles has vertices which are capturable, in accordancewith one set of rules for use of the grid, by the playing pieces of anopponent. Another consequence is that any player is prevented fromeasily establishing a dominant position on the game board.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the apertures areinterconnected by guide marks to provide visual assistance to theformation of permitted patterns. Each such mark can be a part of amultiplicity of permitted patterns. The marks are advantageously moldedinto the game board.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the game board isprovided with two pockets for each player, one being for the playingpieces of that player and the other being for playing pieces capturedfrom an opponent.

In using the game structure in accordance with the invention, theplayers take turns in positioning their playing pieces, e.g., marbles,in selected, unoccupied apertures of the game board. The object is toform equilateral triangles along the guide marks which capture theplaying pieces of an opposing player within the triangles thus formed.The first player who cannot make a play is the loser. To further preventany player A from easily establishing a dominant or non-vulnerableposition on the board, the rules may provide, for example, that no twoadjacent positions at the outer edge of the grid may be occupied by thesame player.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other aspects of the invention willbecome apparent in considering several illustrative embodiments taken inconjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a game board of a game structure inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 1B is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the game board of FIG.1A, showing illustrative playing pieces in the form of marbles; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an alternative game structure in accordancewith the invention showing an illustrative pattern of apertures beingused in forming triangular playing patterns.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT Turning to thedrawings, a game structure 10 in accordance with the invention is formedby a game board 11 and various playing pieces 12 which are selectivelyinserted into apertures 13 of an optimally rounded grid to realizedesired playing patterns. The realization of the patterns is facilitatedby guide marks 14 between apertures. The particular game board of FIG.1A is intended for the use of two players and provides respectivepockets 151 and 15-2 for respective playing pieces.

A cross section of the game board 11 is shown in FIG. 1B. The board 11is desirably formed by vacuum or injection molding of a plasticmaterial. The inter-guide lines 14 of the grid are desirably in the formof depressions in order to simplify the manufacture and eliminate theneed for marking the face of the board after it is removed from themold. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the apertures 13 are semisphericaldepressions which are adapted to receive playing pieces 12 in the formof marbles. The playing pieces 12 fit into the apertures 13 of the board11 to a depth of approximately one-fourth of their diameter to providesecure seating in specified positions and ease of removal. To facilitatemolding and to obtain a uniform margin for the board 11, thecenter-to-center distance of seven of the apertures 13 is made equal to10 marble diameters.

Details of the grid configuration of FIG. 1A are set forth in FIG. 2.The grid G illustratively has 55 apertures which are arranged foroptimal rounding. For that purpose the overall outline of the grid ofFIG. 2 forms a hexagon withits comers removed.

The grid G includes a center row R of apertures and a plurality of pairsof adjoining rows R R',; R R g; R R';,; and R, R, on opposite sides ofthe center row.

In the case of the SS-aperture grid of FIG. 2 the number of aperturesper row is given by Table I.

TABLE I Row Number of Apertures Rhd 0 7 R,, R, 8 R2 7 s 6 R41 R( 3 Ingeneral the number of apertures 13 in the first pair of adjoining rowsR,, R, is one greater than the numher of apertures in the center now Rand each row of each succeeding pair R R',; R;,, R, and R R, has atleast one less aperture than the preceding row, with each outermost row(illustratively the rows R and R,) having three fewer apertures than therow that it adjoins. Consequently, a grid with a center row of nineapertures could have successive pairs of rows of IO, nine, eight andseven apertures each, and a fifth, outermost pair of rows of fourapertures per row.

Where the game patterns to be formed are equilateral triangles, thecenters of the apertures 13 in each succeeding row, for example, thefirst outer row R are staggered with respect to those of each precedingrow, for example the center row R and the guide marks 14 are of equallengths between adjoining apertures along a row and between rows.

Another relationship that can be applied is that the number of pairs ofadjoining rows in three less than the number of apertures in the centerrow R and the number of apertures in each of the outermost rows, forexample R, and R,, is given by the number of apertures in the center rowR minus the row number of the outermost row.

, In the particular grid arrangement of FIG. 2, it is possible to form136 different equilateral triangles, each having a side that includes atleast two guide marks.

In the game structure of FIG. 2, the game board 11 has two sets ofpockets and 16 for each of two players. The subscripts identify theparticular player. Pockets 15-1 and 15-2 are for playing pieces, i.e.,marbles 12, of the first and second players. Similarly the pockets 16-1and 16-2 are for the playing pieces captured by the respective players.

Illustratively, the marbles of the first player are red R and those ofthe second player are blue B. After a succession of individual plays,the marbles have'the configuration shown in FIG. 2, with the largeequilateral triangle T-l including within it, and therefore capable ofcapturing, the vertex marble 12-1 of an equilateral triangle T-2 formedby the second player and the blue marble 12-2 within the first triangleT-l. A marble along the edge of a triangle is considered to be withinthe triangle and capturable by it.

A representative set of rules for playing a triangles game using thegame structure is:

1. Players R (red) and B (blue) start with equal numbers of marbles (16)in pockets 15-1 and 15-2, respectively. Players play alternately and thefirst one who cannot play loses.

2. A play consists of (a) placement of a player of one of his marbles onan unoccupied aperture 13 on the board 11, provided a player may notplay in two adjacent outer edge positions, or alternatively, occupy morethan six outer edge positions at one time, or (b) capture or harvest ofan equilateral triangle, defined by the guide markers 14 on the board,provided that his own marbles define its three vertices and at least oneof the opponents marbles lies inside of the triangle, e.g., marbles 12-1and 12-2 within triangle T-l of FIG. 2. In harvesting a triangle, all ofthe marbles within the triangles are removed, including the three vertexmarbles. The opponents marbles are permanently captured; the players ownare returned to his supply pocket 15-1 or 15-2, to be used again.

The game configuration of FIG. 2 further illustrates the foregoing rulesin that (a) the blue player, during his turn, may not capture the blue"triangle T-2 since it does not contain a red marble, (b) blue may notplay in aperture 13-1, (c) on "reds" turn, he can play in aperture 13-2because aperture 13-3 is not considered to be an outer edge position.

While various aspects of the invention have been set forth by thedrawings and the specification, the foregoing detailed description isfor illustration only, and it will be apparent that various changes inparts as well as the substitution of equivalent constituents for thoseshown and described may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A game structure comprising a game board with a plurality ofapertures therein;

said apertures being symmetrically distributed on said game board toform, in overall outline, a geometric figure having six sides with itscorners eliminated;

thereby to provide a game board for triangular pattern recognition.

2. A game structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the apertures of saidgame board are interconnected by guide marks to provide visualassistance for the formation of desired triangular patterns.

3. A game structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said apertures includea center row of apertures and a plurality of pairs of adjoining rows ofapertures; and

each outermost row has three fewer apertures than the row that itimmediately adjoins.

4. A game structure as defined in claim 3 wherein the number of pairs ofadjoining rows is three less than the number of apertures in said centerrow and each succeeding adjoining row has one fewer aperture than thepreceding adjoining row.

5. A game structure as defined in claim 3 wherein the number ofapertures in each outermost row is given by the number of apertures insaid center row minus the row number of said outermost row.

6. A game structure as defined in claim 3 further including playingpieces in the form of marbles for selective insertion into saidapertures in accordance with a prescribed set of rules.

7. A game structure as defined in claim 6 wherein the center-to-centerdistance of seven of said apertures is equal to 10 marble diameters andeach marble has a depth of insertion that is one-quarter of itsdiameter.-

8. A game structure as defined in claim 6 wherein three of said marblesare of a specified color and are positioned on said game board in vertexapertures of an equilateral triangle defined by guide marks betweenapertures.

9. A game structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said game boardincludes two sets of pockets for each player, one for the playing piecesof said player and the other for the playing pieces captured from anopponent.

10. A game structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said game board ismolded from plastic with 55 apertures therein and a storage pocket forthe playing pieces of each player; the center row has seven apertures,the rows immediately adjoining said center row have eight apertureseach, and the succeeding pairs of adjoining rows have seven, six andthree apertures in each row.

I k F i t

1. A game structure comprising a game board with a plurality ofapertures therein; said apertures being symmetrically distributed onsaid game board to form, in overall outline, a geometric figure havingsix sides with its corners eliminated; thereby to provide a game boardfor triangular pattern recognition.
 2. A game structure as defined inclaim 1 wherein the apertures of said game board are interconnected byguide marks to provide visual assistance for the formation of desiredtriangular patterns.
 3. A game structure as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid apertures include a center row of apertures and a plurality ofpairs of adjoining rows of apertures; and each outermost row has threefewer apertures than the row that it immediately adjoins.
 4. A gamestructure as defined in claim 3 wherein the number of pairs of adjoiningrows is three less than the number of apertures in said center row andeach succeeding adjoining row has one fewer aperture than the precedingadjoining row.
 5. A game structure as defined in claim 3 wherein thenumber of apertures in each outermost row is given by the number ofapertures in said center row minus the row number of said outermost row.6. A game structure as defined in claim 3 further including playingpieces in the form of marbles for selective insertion into saidapertures in accordance with a prescribed set of rules.
 7. A gamestructure as defined in claim 6 wherein the center-to-center distance ofseven of said apertures is equal to 10 marble diameters and each marblehas a depth of insertion that is one-quarter of its diameter.
 8. A gamestructure as defined in claim 6 wherein three of said marbles are of aspecified color and are positioned on said game board in vertexapertures of an equilateral triangle defined by guide marks betweenapertures.
 9. A game structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said gameboard includes two sets of pockets for each player, one for the playingpieces of said player and the other for the playing pieces captured froman opponent.
 10. A game structure as defined in claim 1 wherein saidgame board is molded from plastic with 55 apertures therein and astorage pocket for the playing pieces of each player; the center row hasseven apertures, the rows immediately adjoining said center row haveeight apertures each, and the succeeding pairs of adjoining rows haveseven, six and three apertures in each row.